


Make Me Like You

by Paperback_Head



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 22:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7010704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paperback_Head/pseuds/Paperback_Head
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: AU where Shaw is interested in Root and must try to approach Root.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sameen Shaw was not the type to chase after someone. She didn't have crushes and she sure as hell didn't pine over people. She just wasn't relationship material and yet here she was, sat in detention completely absorbed in the new girl who was sitting a few seats away.

The other girl had started that week and Shaw didn't know a single thing about her except that they were in the same AP English and Calculus BC class and she was quiet. Other than in class, Shaw never saw her either. She was weird but there was something about her that drew Shaw in and it was pissing her off.

She was hot, that was obvious. She was tall with long chestnut brown hair that framed her face perfectly and big brown eyes that were always reading something off some sort of screen. That was probably why she was always wearing glasses. Thick black glasses that somehow made her incredibly sexy. 'Get it together,' Shaw thought to herself as she turned her attention back to the biology homework she was almost finished.

Shaw was an AP student with a perfect GPA and attendance. Her behaviour, on the other hand, was completely erratic. She didn't do emotions very well and processing them made her extremely frustrated. So add a few annoying idiots to the equation and the result was a black eye and detention. If it wasn't for the principal she would have been suspended, possibly even expelled by now. The principal, who everyone knew as Control, had a soft spot for Shaw for some reason and didn't see any point in ruining her chances at getting into college. She was also smart enough to realise that Shaw was only reacting to others, not that it mattered.

Detention was a regular occurrence for Shaw, so much so that she was on a first name basis with Mr. Finch who was in charge of detention. So when Shaw had walked in today she had been surprised to see the new girl. Shaw wondered what she could have done but didn't dwell on it too much, as she soon became completely engrossed in the girl and forgot all about it.

It wasn't until Mr. Finch announced that they were free to go that Shaw decided to introduce herself after a lot of internal debate.

"You're the new girl, right?" Shaw asked her offhandedly as she began packing her stuff back into her backpack. It was fairly obvious that she was talking to the girl as the few others that had been in the room were now gone, including Mr. Finch.

Shaw looked up when she didn't get an answer to find the girl staring at her with a suspicious look. After a few moments she nodded slowly, turning her attention back to packing away her laptop. 

"I'm..." Shaw began to introduce before the other girl cut her off.

"Sameen Shaw. We have English and Calculus together." She spoke in a disinterested tone and her movements were frenzied, as if she couldn't wait to get out of there and away from Shaw.

"Right, and you are?" Shaw asked. Now she was curious.

She stopped what she was doing completely and made eye contact with Shaw for the first time, resulting in Shaw getting completely lost in her dark, dough eyes. "I am a social pariah, a ghost, so it doesn't matter."

"I wouldn't have asked if it didn't matter." Shaw grumbled to herself as she continued to shove her books into her bag, not realising she had said it loud enough for the other girl to hear her. She looked up again to see the other girl staring at her once again but this time she seemed surprised, possibly surprised that Shaw actually wanted to know who she was.

The last few minutes that they spent together were filled with silence until the moment Shaw got to the door and heard the other girl say something. "Root," She told her and, at the look of confusion on Shaw's face, clarified. "My name is Root."

Shaw turned around and nodded at her with a smirk. "See ya around Root." And with that, she walked out of the detention room using all of her strength to keep herself from looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a couple of months since Shaw approached Root for the first time and neither girl regretted it. It took Root two weeks to believe that Shaw was genuinely interested in her and wasn't just playing some cruel practical joke on her. Since that afternoon in detention the pair had grown quite close and nobody so much as glared at the taller girl in fear of Shaw.

Shaw's reputation proceeded her and everyone knew better than to mess with her or the very small group of people in which she considered friends. Well, everyone except two assholes who had received multiple black eyes and split lips from the Persian. Martine Rosseau and Jeremy Lambert seemed to take particular pleasure in screwing with Shaw for whatever reason but Shaw was too smart to be on the receiving end for the majority of their schemes. The few she had been involved in resulted in bloodshed, and it wasn't her bleeding.

Root and Shaw were seemingly inseparable. They were always together, whether it be at school or on weekends, except for the classes they didn't share. At this point, they practically knew everything about each other. 

Shaw had learnt that Root had moved from Bishop, Texas to live with her estranged uncle, who just so happened to be Mr. Finch, after her mother's schizophrenia got out of hand. Root had been forced from a young age to take care of herself and her mother after her father up and left one day, never being heard from again. In addition, her only friend had gone missing without a trace and she was left completely alone. As a result she had a few issues of her own, specifically trust issues, but Shaw was helping her through them. Anxiety was another big thing but Shaw was always around if she needed someone to help her to calm down.

Root had learnt about Shaw's self diagnosed personality disorder and was unsure as to how accurate the diagnosis was. Despite what she thought, it was obvious to Root that Shaw did care about people. She proved it every time she brought Root breakfast, knowing that she didn't eat regularly, or held Root's hand when she began tapping on her leg from anxiety. She had also been one of the only people to hear about Shaw's father, which she hadn't realised was a big deal at first. Shaw had explained what had happened to him one day when they were lying in the grass at the park after mentioning that she hadn't been to a park since her father died. She had even met Shaw's mother, who worked two jobs in order to keep them afloat.

Neither girl judged the other, they simply accepted each other and respected the clear boundaries. Root respected that sometimes Shaw didn't want any physical contact, just like Shaw respected that sometimes Root needed to be left alone for a while to process her thoughts. They just worked even though on paper they shouldn't.

It was days like this that Shaw enjoyed the most, when she would just pick Root up and they would take a sporadic road trip to wherever for a day or two. Shaw's mother didn't mind and whilst Mr. Finch didn't approve he always gave permission. Root had been different since becoming friends with Shaw, a good different, and he didn't see any reason not to trust either girl. They were both smart and responsible, besides he knew for a fact that Root kept a taser in her bag at all times.

They never knew where they were going, they just drove until they reached a destination. The furtherest that they had ever gone was Toronto, Canada which turned out to be one of the best experiences of Shaw's life. They ended up staying at some crappy motel before exploring the city the next day an driving back. Driving always cleared Shaw's head so after a stressful week like the one she had, she would persuade Root to come with her. Not that it took much to get the tall brunette to agree.

Shaw had been through a shocking week and she was just glad it was over. She had been stressed out over the three assignments that she had due and the two tests that she had to take. Martine had also decided to pick a fight which resulted in a black eye, broken nose and three weeks worth of detention for Shaw. In addition, Shaw had gotten into a rather explosive argument with her mother over the fight which was why they were driving on a Friday night rather than the next morning.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a good thirty minutes before Root spoke up. "You want to talk about it?" Root asked softly, noting the way Shaw gripped the wheel tighter until her knuckles were completely white. 

It wasn't unusual for Shaw to get into arguments with her mother. They were a common occurrence since her father, who had acted as a buffer between the two, had abruptly died. It also didn't help that Shaw couldn't articulate or communicate her emotions like other people which only added to the frustration. 

It was less than a minute later that they were pulled over on the side of the road and Shaw just sat staring out the windshield. She then unexpectedly began hitting the steering wheel with as much strength that she could muster up, getting all her anger and rage out in that moment. She stopped after a few minutes, completely out of breath and completely worn down. She was so numb to everything that she didn't even feel a single tear run down her cheek.

Root sat next to her, completely silent. That was the most emotion she had ever seen from Shaw. It was nothing but pure and unfiltered rage mixed with frustration and it broke her heart to see Shaw this way. 

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Shaw asked in a mumble after ten minutes, her gaze unfocused and her face expressionless. "I can't do anything right. I always fuck everything up."

Root looked at her as tears welled up in her own eyes. She didn't know what to say, she wasn't good at providing comfort. She hadn't had any practise at it but she figured that something was better than nothing. She hesitantly placed her hand over Shaw's that rested in her lap and intertwined their fingers, giving it a soft squeeze for good measure.

"Not everything." Root whispered soothingly, offering her a soft smile when Shaw turned her gaze to her.

Root continued to gaze into Shaw's empty gaze, getting lost in her dark orbs that Root could happily stare into for the rest of her life. She was so lost that she didn't realise that Shaw's face had gotten closer until she felt her breath on her lips. It was at that moment that Root saw something shift in Shaw's eyes. She looked down at Root's lips briefly before making eye contact again as if she was seeking permission. 

Root quite happily granted the request by tentatively bringing their lips together, revelling in the fact that she was kissing her best friend. The kiss was amazingly perfect and beyond her comprehension. It was shy and soft but decisive and assertive at the same time. It was completely them and both of them were disappointed when they had to pull away when the need for oxygen became too important to ignore. 

They rested their foreheads together as they caught their breath. Shaw's eyes scanned every feature of Root's face whilst Root kept her eyes closed, hoping that this wasn't a dream. Shaw tenderly cradled her face and gently ran her thumb over Root's cheek, wiping a tear that made its way down her cheek.

"Open your eyes," Shaw requested in a whisper that was softer than Root had expected.

Root complied and found herself looking at the most beautiful girl she had ever laid eyes on. "This is real right?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Root." Shaw answered before capturing her lips, reassuring the brunette over and over again.


	3. Chapter 3

You could write more in this universe? I would like to see other girl interested in Root, perhaps Kara and this let Shaw jealous.

\-----

Kara Stanton was a new student so Shaw couldn't blame her for flirting with Root, not knowing that she was with someone. Root was hot, anyone with eyes could tell you that, but the whole school knew that they were together and nobody wanted to mess with Shaw. However, the next eight times was deliberate and it pissed Shaw off. 

Root found it kind of funny but mostly adorable. It made her heart swell to know that Shaw liked her so much the she got jealous about other people. But Shaw felt like she didn't get it. She wasn't important, it was just a matter of time before Root replaced her with someone who was. Just the thought of Root with someone else made her want to punch a wall or two. The mere possibility that one day she would move on made her crazy and sometimes it was all she could think about.

So when Shaw sat down at their regular table during lunch and the bitch was there, flirting with Root for the tenth time, she got mad. It was bad enough that the chick was sitting with them but the fact that she had no problem flirting with her girlfriend right in front of her really pissed Shaw off.

"Kara, you're nice but..." Root began but Shaw didn't allow her to finish as she pulled Root into a rough, possessive kiss.

Root responded instantly, as she always did, with just as much passion however she slowed it down. It was her unique method of reassurance. She didn't want to rush anything when it came to Shaw, not even a single kiss. She wanted to take her time to memorise the feeling of Shaw's lips against hers, the feeling of their bodies pressed together. She wanted to sear everything into her memory so that she was completely ruined for anyone else.

When they pulled apart, the bitch was gone and Root was smiling at her. To anyone else it was just a happy smile but Shaw had spent a lot of time learning everything she possibly could about the brunette and she knew that teasing glint in her eye when she saw it.

"A little jealous, sweetie?" Root asked in a singsong tone to which Shaw simply kissed her again, wiping the smile right off of her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this prompt took so long to write, especially because it's so short. I've been preoccupied with my other fics. Please go check them out if you haven't already. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> their relationship is more difficult because Root need to work traveling , and Shaw Thomas kisses at a party.
> 
> I love it when Shaw gets jealous! Can you write one with Root this time?

Every time that Root saw a particular cocky football player anywhere even remotely close to Shaw, she felt increasingly familiar feelings of anger and jealously flare up. She had plenty of reason to be angry but she didn't really understand why she was jealous. Shaw had assured that there was absolutely nothing to be jealous about in several creative ways which had left her completely satisfied and exhausted. However, the memory of that night and the many that proceeded it weren't enough to deter the possessive nature of jealousy and Root regretted going on vacation more and more everyday.

She had been dragged on vacation with her uncle Harold and his wife, Grace, at the beginning of summer break only to return a few days before school began. Her uncle was stupid rich and easily afforded the extravagant getaway to Europe. Everything had been perfect, except for the fact that Shaw couldn't come with her. Her girlfriend couldn't afford something like that and Root would never ask her uncle for anything, not after everything he had already done for her.

Of course, this meant that Shaw had been left to socialise with the small group of people she actually considered friends and Bear, Harold's dog whom Shaw had offered to take care of. Shaw only considered four people to be her friends; John Reese, Zoe Morgan, Joss Carter and Lionel Fusco, and her relationship and dynamic was different with each of them. Root understood why she was friends with John and Joss, whom Shaw preferred to call by their surnames. They were both very levelheaded people who knew exactly what they wanted and when, much like the Persian. However, it was Shaw's relationships with Zoe and Lionel that stumped her. Zoe was by far more social than anyone in the small circle of friends and all Lionel seemed to do was joke around and hurl insults at the short brunette.

Being the most social person, Zoe had been invited to many parties over the break and she had even managed to convince Shaw to go to one three weeks before school was scheduled to resume. This, of course, had been where the incident, as Root had begun referring to it in her mind, had occurred. From what Root had been told, Shaw hadn't wanted to do much of anything whilst Root had been away and Zoe had to quite literally drag Shaw out of her house. The party was apparently not that fantastic, according to Shaw at least, which had resulted in about nine beers circulating through the Persian's system. Shaw knew how to hold her liquor but after ninebeers, even she was impaired. 

That had been when Tomas came into the picture and began flirting with her. When Shaw had told her the story, Root had thought that it was kind of pathetic. Because Shaw wouldn't look at him twice sober, he had to try while she was tipsy. Root, however, became furious when Shaw told her that she had kissed Tomas in her inebriated state. Now here she was leant against her locker and holding onto the strap of her laptop bag that ran across her body so tight that her knuckles were white as she watched the two interact.

She could see that Shaw was dismissive but Tomas didn't seem to pick up on it. From her position, Root couldn't hear what was being discussed but Root could read Shaw's body language with pinpoint accuracy. She was tense, guarded, and seemed to be getting more irritated by the second if the increase in eye rolls per minute was any indicator. 

Root continued watching, almost completely oblivious to what was happening around her. As always, her attention was fixed on Shaw and it was only when Shaw made eye contact from across the room that she felt calmer, more content. It was a second later that Shaw dismissed herself from the awkward interaction and made her way over to Root, maintaining eye contact.

The moment she was close enough, the short Persian placed a soft kiss onto Root's lips before pulling back. It was as if Shaw could read every thought that crossed her mind especially if they were about her, which they normally were. They remained looking into each other's eyes, communicating better without words than with them. Shaw's eyes always shined with feelings and thoughts she could never say aloud whilst Root's reflected the thoughts and feelings she would never voice in fear of pushing Shaw away.

Jealousy was one of those feelings. Shaw didn't mind showing that she was jealous as she just blamed her actions on anger, unaware to the fact that Root knew exactly what she was feeling in those moments. However with Root, it manifested differently. She became a little distant and completely silent, which was normally Shaw's first indication that something was off. Hurt was another. Root had been devastated when Shaw had told her about the incident. Whilst Root knew that Shaw's judgement was impaired, it didn't stop the doubts and insecurities that were now at the forefront of Root's mind.

They remained in a blissful bubble for a few moments before Root saw the tall, broad footballer approaching through her peripheral vision. Shaw carefully watched as Root seemed to deflate a little and knew exactly what, or in this case who, was responsible for the reaction. Shaw didn't bother waiting for the persistent jock to interrupt their moment, instead push Root against the lockers before bringing their bodies flush together and capturing her lips in a dominant, passionate kiss that had several students watching them. 

It only took a moment for Shaw's control to completely disappear, leaving all the power with Root. She was allowing her to take control, to show the persistent asshole that Shaw was most definitely hers. It only took a total of two seconds before Root had completely flipped their positions, holding Shaw's hands together by her wrists above her head to add to the affect and placing her mouth on her girlfriend's neck in order to suck on it. They continued for what felt like an eternity, but in reality was a little over a minute, only to find that Tomas was nowhere in sight and most of the other students in the hallway had their eyes completely glued to the pair.

It was convenient that the bell went at that moment and everyone reluctantly moved to their classrooms. Shaw pressed another kiss to Root's lips, this time a lot more restrained, before slipping into the crowd of people to go to her next class. Suffice to say, the couple got a lot of looks during the rest of the day from teachers and students alike.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it's been a while but here's a new chapter. It just came to me when I was listening to some music, Dope by Fifth Harmony just to be more specific. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Shaw had absolutely zero experience when it came to emotions. She didn't have them, she'd never had them. At least not until the day she first laid eyes on Root. Ever since, the volume was permanently turned up. At first it was only small whispers barely scratching the surface but it rapidly evolved into loud screams that consumed her thoughts. It was frustrating but satisfying at the same time knowing that Root, and only Root, could cause such a reaction.

She liked everything about Root, even the annoying things. She liked her expressive, dough eyes that she often found herself drowning in. She liked the variety of expressions that could appear on her gorgeous face from devious smirks to playful pouts. She liked the husky voice she had when she had just woken up or been kissed senseless. She liked how Root knew exactly how she was feeling from a single glance her way. She liked how they could so easily trust each other with everything. Everything about her was perfect in Shaw's opinion, and that's what scared her.

Things had been great for the past few months but now, with the addition of Shaw's feelings, it was becoming more serious and Shaw didn't know how to deal with that. 

These were the thoughts that plagued her mind as she tried to catch her breath from their previous activities. Her mind was racing as Root settled herself into Shaw's side, and arm over her toned body running her fingers in a feather light touch over a small scar on the Persian's side.

"I can practically hear the gears turning," Root commented as she tried to bring her own breathing back to normal. 

"I can barely hear anything over the sound of my heartbeat." Shaw replied with a smirk, prompting Root to move her hand a little higher as one of her trademark smirks appeared on her swollen lips. However, it quickly soften and a foreign yet familiar look in Root's eyes told Shaw that now wasn't the time for a round two, or more specifically five but who was counting.

"What are you thinking about?" Root whispered into Shaw's ear before placing a light peck just behind it. 

The question caused Shaw to tense up slightly but the tension was released moments later. She wasn't good at feelings, let alone sharing them, but the softness of Root's tone made Shaw want to tell her. For some reason the nerdy, irritatingly sexy girl beside her made her want to tell every tiny thought or minor feeling that she ever experienced. She wanted to be what Root deserved, normal.

However, somehow sensing her thoughts like always, Root brought her hand up and turned her head so that they were face to face as captivating honey brown eyes locked onto her own. 

"What does love feel like?" Shaw asked as she continued to stare into Root's eyes, noticing the softer edge in them that had become a permanent fixture.

Root seemed to be slightly taken off guard by the question but quickly recovered. "Well, I think it's different for other people but for me..." Root began, releasing Shaw's cheek and returning her hand to its previous activity as she laid her head onto the Persian's shoulder. "I get butterflies but my chest feels heavy at the same time. I'm just... instantly in a better mood. And more confident, braver. I feel like I can do anything." 

"You deserve someone who can tell you stuff like that," Shaw told her softly, lightly racking her fingers through Root's chestnut locks.

"I don't need you too, sweetie." Root replied as if she was saying something obvious as she placed a kiss to Shaw's collarbone. "I already know."

"I want to but..." Shaw began but was quickly cut off as Root's mouth moulded easily to hers, causing her entire brain to shut down for a moment from the intensity.

"I don't need you to tell me, Sameen," Root told her when she pulled back, keeping their lips inches apart as she moved to straddle her girlfriend and bring their naked bodies together once again. "I just need you to show me." 

It was safe to say after several more hours spent in bed that Root knew exactly how Shaw felt about her.


	6. Chapter 6

Shaw had never been so distant from Root in the months that they had been together. They spent every moment they could together; before and after school, between classes and during lunch breaks, weekends and holidays. Every moment they could, they were together. However, that hadn't been the case for the past week and it was starting to get to Root.

The first two days she understood that Shaw probably just needed a little bit of time to herself. She had expected it really. However, it was after the third day that Root began to worry. Shaw wouldn't even look at her and all of Root's insecurities and fears were beginning to get to her.

She was surprised that Shaw had stayed with her for as long as she had. Shaw could have anyone she wanted and yet she decided to spend almost every waking moment with Root, in a relationship with Root. Root who was beyond flawed and damaged in ways nobody should have to deal with. Besides, everyone left her eventually. It was only a matter of time before Shaw did the same.

But Root hadn't been ready for that, still wasn't ready for it. So she spent her lunch breaks hiding in the isles of the school library and her weekend hiding in her bedroom with her phone turned off. It was selfish, in a way, to delay the inevitable when Shaw probably wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but she wasn't ready to accept that they were over yet. That the best thing to ever happen to her in her seventeen years of life was slipping through her fingers.

It was Wednesday lunch break when she found herself buried in the library's old and weathered copy of Carmilla with music blaring through her headphones. She was once again hiding from Shaw. She was avoiding the entire friend group like the plague, hoping to spare herself several awkward encounters and forced conversations. Although she wasn't really paying attention to the novel. In fact, she hadn't been paying attention to anyone or anything other than the constant stream of self deprecating thoughts that ran through her mind.

However, her attention was caught by a familiar scent that she had grown to love belonging to the person who had sat themselves down across from her. The same person who had been avoiding her all week and made her doubt their entire relationship.

She simply stared at the teen in front of her, locking her gaze onto the deep brown orbs that she had fallen for. She couldn't help but notice the defensiveness and hard edge to them which indicated that this probably wasn't going to be a pleasant or easy conversation.

"Hey," Shaw greeted casually once Root had removed her headphones.

Root stared back at her blankly, in complete shock at the fact that Shaw was actually talking to her and that she chose to greet her so casually as if they hadn't just spent the week ignoring each other.

"What the hell, Shaw?" Root asked, keeping her volume low not wanting to alert anyone else who may be around to what was happening. "Where have you been all week?"

"I've just been preoccupied." Shaw answered cryptically and Root felt herself getting frustrated.

"So you tell me you love me, then don't contact me at all for a week and your excuse is that you were 'preoccupied?'" Root told her harshly, in both disbelief and hurt. "That's bullshit, Shaw."

Shaw knew instantly that she had hurt her girlfriend, which was exactly what Shaw had hoped to avoid by not interacting with her. This week had been hell for Shaw between her mother, school work and being forced to see the school counsellor, she was ready to explode and she hadn't wanted to go off at Root of all people.

"I'm sorry, okay? It's just been a bad week." Shaw told her.

But Root wasn't having it and she pushed even further, not really caring how Shaw reacted. "Seriously, Shaw?" Root asked louder. She was allowing her emotions to get the better of her but she didn't really care. She had been driven crazy all week between her constant insecurities and doubts and the overanalyses of their relationship. She was emotionally exhausted and she had finally just reached her breaking point.

"I don't know if you realise but we're in a relationship. I'm your girlfriend which means that you actually have to communicate with me instead of telling me the same bullshit excuses that you tell everyone else." Root told her heatedly and Shaw took it. She knew she deserved this and that Root needed to vent somehow. "Whether you care or not, I love you . . ."

Shaw immediately cut her off by pressing their lips together. Despite her anger, Root melted into the kiss. Instead of the usual possessive nature of a kiss initiated by Shaw, it was slower and so much softer than either of them had ever experienced. Shaw refused to allow Root to doubt her feelings for her. She would gladly sit and listen as Root yelled at her for being MIA but she never wanted Root to think that she didn't care, because she did. 

"I'm sorry," Shaw whispered an apology as they broke apart. 

"I just don't get it." Root told her softly after a few moments. 

Shaw kept her gaze fixed onto the carpet, mentally debating whether or not to tell Root. She didn't like being vulnerable and exposed. It left herself to open to hurt and Shaw didn't know if she could survive that coming from Root. However, a part of her also knew that Root would never hurt her, at least not intentionally, and that she could trust the taller brunette with anything. She could go on a mass killing spree and Root wouldn't even blink. 

She released a breath that she hadn't known she had been holding as her dark orbs met with lighter brown. "It's been seven years. . . since the accident." Shaw muttered, hoping that it was loud enough for Root to hear. She didn't know if she had the guts to repeat it.

Root paused, suddenly recalling the fact that Shaw's father had died in May. Shaw never spoke much about her father or the accident that claimed his life but she had told Root enough for her to fit the pieces together now. Suddenly, everything clicked and made sense. Shaw didn't deal with her emotions, she bottled them up. In addition, Root could only imagine what kind of a state Shaw's mother had been in and knew that Shaw would always put her first.

"I'm sorry." Root apologised quickly. She was smart, everybody knew that, but she didn't always link things as quickly as she should. This was just one of the many times that proved just how slow she could be sometimes. "I should have known. God, I'm a shitty girlfriend and I'm totally messing us up." 

"C'mon Root, if anyone is gonna mess us up, it'll be me." Shaw told her as she intertwined their fingers and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're too perfect to mess anything up. Me, on the other hand, I'm a complete fuck-up."

Root couldn't help but snort at the sweet but utterly ridiculous notion. "That's debatable."

"You know I meant it, right?" Shaw asked softly after a few moments of silence that she spent playing with Root's fingers.

"I know." Root answer almost immediately. "I was just frustrated but I need you to talk to me about things like this. There is nothing that you could tell me that would make me less in love with you, okay?"

Shaw nodded shyly and placed a chaste kiss onto her girlfriend's lips and giving her hand another squeeze. 

"Okay."


End file.
